Victory at Ai, Part 1

Joshua chapter 8 is where we're at this evening, victory at AI. We've moved from looking at the agony of Achan in Joshua chapter 7, the consequences of sin, to looking at what it means to have victory in each and every one of our Battles and as you're turning to Joshua chapter 8, I want to read to you from Psalm 37, verse number 23. It says, The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and he delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the one who holds his hand.

Then down in verse 27, Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever. For the Lord loves justice and does not forsake his godly ones. They are preserved forever. But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. Verse number 34. Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off. You will see it. That is a definition or an illustration of what takes place in Joshua chapter 7 and then again in Joshua chapter 8. where the wicked is cut off in chapter 7 and those who continue on are able to conquer the land and see the land.

But our God, our Lord, always upholds the righteous ones. He preserves the godly. He watches over them, takes care of them, enables them to accomplish great things for his kingdom. And Joshua chapter 8 is a chapter about victory. One man sinned in Joshua chapter 7, and the whole nation obeys in Joshua chapter 8. In Joshua chapter 7, they lived by human reason. But in Joshua chapter 8, Israel lives by divine revel. And there's a great contrast between the two chapters. And that's purposed that way because God wants you to understand that in order for you to experience the power his life, you must live a p and holy life.

For once there's been cleansing, the cleansing from iniquity, then you're able to conquer the enemy. And that's what Joshua chapter 8 is all about. It's about living a life of victory. For now, God can do a great and mighty work through his people. And so, Joshua chapter 8 is kind of an encouraging chapter. Because if you have seriously dealt with the sin in your life, God will use you in a great and mighty way. If you seek to conceal that sin and hide that sin, you can't be used of God in a great way.

Because your sin separates you from him. It causes you not to be in a relationship with him where righteousness permeates your life and you can be used for the glory of his kingdom. But once that sin is confessed, then God can use you in a great and mighty way. God wants to use us, but He needs clean and holy vessels. will to be used of him. So I want to cover with you this evening the first two verses of Joshua chapter eight because it sets the tone.

In this chapter you have a con the cons before the war. You have the conducting of the war, and then you have the convocation after the war. There are three main points we're going to cover as we go through chapter 8. And the first one tonight is the consolation before the war.

Let me read to you, Joshua chapter 8, verses 1 and 2. Now the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear, or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you, and arise. Go up to A. See, I have given into your hand the king of A, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to A and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king. You shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it. Here we have the consolation Before the war. And it centers around two things: a word of inspiration and a word of instruction.

Joshua receives great comfort from his God. He receives it because God will now inspire him in a unique way. He needed to be motivated. Why? Because he lived in fear. He lived in fear. That's why the Bible says these words, and the Lord said to Joshua, do not fear.

So if God says to you, do not fear, that means he knows that somehow in your heart you are fearful, right?

So here was Joshua, this man of victory, this man of courage, all of a sudden, now was fearful. And earlier in Joshua chapter 1, God said, don't be afraid. Don't be fearful. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will watch over you. I will take care of you. You only be strong, and you be courageous, Joshua. And now Joshua is not strong and Joshua is not courageous. You know why? Because that's what sin does. Sin causes people to f. And Joshua experienced defeat. In chapter 7, 36 of his men were killed.

They lost the Battle of A. They operated in human reason. They did not know that one person had sinned in the camp until God told them that there was sin in the camp. Joshua went and dealt with the sin properly. He honored his God. He did what he was supposed to do. The wicked man was destroyed. His family was destroyed. And now as Joshua led them in the destruction of the sinful man, now God would lead them in the destruction. Of the city of Ai. But Joshua had feared. And what was his fear? Well, if you go back to Joshua chapter 7, verse number 7, and verse number 9, he feared that the other Canaanites, the other enemy, would begin to know about what would take place at Ai AI, and they would lose the battle, and they would be overcome, and the enemy would gather together around them and destroy them, and their name would be cut off.

Joshua was fearful of that. And so the word of the Lord comes to Joshua in the midst of his fear. Let me tell you something, folks.

When you live in fear, you need to be in the word of God. Because God's word will erase your f. The word of the Lord came to Joshua, and God said to Joshua, do not Fear. Listen, sin doesn't bring tranquility in one's life. Sin breeds fear. People's lives. Listen to this. Proverbs 28, verse number 1. Write it down. It says this: The righteous are bold as a lion. The right are as bold as a lion. Folks, let me tell you something.

That's the way we need to be. We need to be bold as lions. Lions are courageous. And that's how the righteous person is. So if there's unrighteousness in our lives, it causes us not to be bold, but to be what? Fearful? To be scared. And that's why we need to know the word of the Lord. And that's why we need to be inspired by God's word. And the Bible tells us that it's God's word that removes Joshua's fear because Joshua is compelled now to action. You see, he is no longer taking the initiative, he is waiting.

Because he doesn't know what to do next. And God says, Joshua, do not fear. Joshua, do not be dismayed. Why? Because you will win the victory. I have given you the city. I have given you the land. I have given you the king. You are the victor. And Joshua needed to have that kind of encouragement. I love what the Bible says over in Isaiah chapter 41, verse number 10.

Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Verse 13 of chapter 41. For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, Do not fear, I will help you. Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel, I will help you, decl the Lord, and your Redeemer Is the Holy One of Israel? God always says, do not fear. You say, but Lord, I tremble, I'm fearing.

God says, you know what? Don't do that. Don't do that. You don't need to do that. You need to believe in what I've said. You don't need to fear me, God says.

But don't fear your enemy. Don't fear your circumstances. Don't fear your surroundings. Don't fear the things you're going to face tomorrow. Only fear me, because I'll be with you. In fact, he says over in Isaiah 43, these words. But now, verse 1. Thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel, do not fear. For I have redeemed you, I have called you by name. You are mine. God says, Don't fear.

What are you afraid of? I've called you. You're mine. You're my possession. Then he says, This: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. Your Savior. Notice he says, when you walk, not if you walk.

He says, when you pass through the waters and the rivers, when you walk through the fire and the flame. He doesn't say, if you happen to be going that direction, I'll be there. No, he says, when this happens, because it's going to happen for everyone. When it happens, do not fear. For I am your God. I am your Redeemer. You're mine. I called you your mine. You know how precious you are to God? You know, think about it this way. If there was a fire in your house, what would you grab? Your kids, right?

To protect them. The very first things you would do would grab your kids and protect them because you didn't want them to be burned.

In fact, you would take the flames upon yourself before you let one of your children be burned. Because they're yours. And really, in reality, they're God's, but God's given them to you for a while. But you're going to protect them. See? God says, you're mine.

You're mine. So when the fire comes, when the flood waters rise, when the flame is intense, when the fire is hot, guess what? I'm there. I'm with you. I'm going to walk you through it. And I will cover you like a blanket. I will uphold you. I will take care of you because you're my own possession. And you mean more to me than anybody el. You mean more to me than you mean to yourself. Because you are mine. I bought you. I purchased you. And God says, Don't fear.

I'll take care of you. See, God's word ins us not to fear. God knows that. God knows that when he speaks to Joshua, his fear will be erased. You need to know that when you live in fear, you need to open the Word of God and begin to read the Word of God and let God speak to you through His Word. Because these are the very living and abiding words of God. God comes to Joshua, knowing his fears, knowing they've lost a battle, knowing that he's confused because he was. God had told him, the land is yours.

Wherever you go, you'll win. He's expecting to win everything, they lose. Now he's in fear. So God comes to him and says, You know what, Joshua? Don't do that. Don't do that. And he's inspired not to fear. And he's inspired, listen, not to faint. Not to faint. God says, Joshua, don't be afraid and do not be dismayed.

Joshua, I don't want you fainting on me. I want you falling over. You see, so many times when we're in fear, it's like you know you go you lose a battle right you're you're you you commit a sin and you think oh what's the use like you know i i can't handle it i can't do it and and so many times we we we are dismayed We begin to faint. What's the use? Why continue on? Why try to win the victory? And God says, Wait a minute, you can't just quit, you can't just st.

You can't be dismayed. You can't faint. You've got to be strong. And it's God's word, again, that would inspire Joshua not to faint. And God knows that Joshua needs to be ready for battle. He was dismayed. He was fainting. He was falling by the wayside. He was no longer taking the initiative. And God says, Joshua, don't be afraid and don't be dismayed.

God's word inspired him not to fear. God's word inspired him not to faint. And God's word inspired him about his future. God's word gave him a vision for the future. God said very clearly to Joshua, Joshua. Listen, I have given into your hand the king of Ahi, the people, his city, and his land. Listen, when the future is bleak, what do you need? You need God to speak to you. Because God clears up the future, God makes it all plain to see. I have given it into your hand, Joshua. You see, God's word opens a door for us to understand our future.

That's why that great verse in Jeremiah 29, 11, where the Lord said to Israel, I know the plans I have for you, the plans, not for your calamity, but for your welfare, to give you a future. And a hope. God says, I got plans that will give you a future.

See, God gives us a future. With God, you have a future. Without God, you have no future. You have no future. With God, you can see the future. That is, you can trust Him to take you through the things that you will face tomorrow and the next day. And that's where Joshua is. And God's word inspires him. So, God's word is the word of inspiration. And God's word, number two, is the word of instruction.

Once he's been inspired, once he's been emotionally set on course, once he knows exactly what's going to happen, now God is going to instruct him as to how the battle will be carried out. And boy, let me tell you something.

This is quite an instruction. And it goes through verses 3 down through verse number 29, and you begin to understand how the battle all unfolds. But God speaks to him. And God gives him words of instruction. Once his spirits have been raised, then God gives him His marching orders. It begins with the army. He says, very simply, in verse number one, take all the people of war with you.

Now, you read that, you think that's not a big deal. Well, if you know Joshua chapter 7, it is a big deal because they all didn't go to battle, did they? Only 3,000 of them went to battle. And God says, listen, let me give you some instruction.

You got to take all of them in with you this time. They all got to be involved. Why? Because it's a team effort. We've got to work together. You can't work individually. You've all got to be involved. And, folks, let me tell you something.

God expects the people in his kingdom to all be employed in his service. Not just some of them. All of them. And let me tell you something about Joshua chapter 8 and the victory of a nation.

A church never wins a victory when people don't get involved. They don't. If you're here tonight, you're not involved, you're just sitting around, you're a pew so. Let me tell you something.

It hinders the growth of the church. I like to use the analogy: you ever take a sponge and just set it on your counter, just let the water just keep running in it day after day after day. You never squeeze it out, just let the water run in it, let it sit there week after week, month after month, year after year. That sponge begins to do what? Smell atrociously. It begins to smell to high heaven. Why? Because it begins to mildew. Why? Because it hasn't been squeezed out so that it can be replenished again.

Sometimes we come, we sit, we just get filled and filled and filled, and we're at that sponge on the counter. Some of you are getting a little moldy out there. You know? Because you're not being used by God in any capacity whatsoever. Should you come to church and receive instruction? Absolutely. Said you go and you walk with the Lord, absolutely. But you've got to be squeezed out. You got to squeeze out. You to let what's being taken in out. Why? So more can come in to give more out, right? And God says, take them all with you, Joshua.

Don't leave some of them behind. They all need to be employed because it's a team effort. And you know, it's not about that there's strength in numbers because that's not the case with God. The case with God is that he just wants everybody to be actively involved. Because everybody, listen, is absolutely valuable in the battle. Everybody is. It's not that some people are more valuable than others. It's not that some people are better than others. Everybody is valuable. Everybody needs to be used by God because God wants to use everybody.

To accomplish great purposes. And God knows that when they're all together working toward the same purpose, great things will happen in Israel. So God says, Let me give you a word of instruction.

They all need to go. Every one of them. He gives them an instruction about the army. He gives them an instruction about the ambush. He tells them, listen.

You're going to set up an ambush, and this is a great story as you get into it in weeks to come. You're going to see how God does everything, how God, you know. I hate to use the word, but God tricks them, you know, and they get out there and they think they're going to win again and they lose and they see their city burning behind them, and all of a sudden they are wiped clean. They're just wiped off the face of the earth. God's got a great strategy. So he gives them instruction about number one, the army, got to all go.

Number two, about the ambush. And then number three, about the award. Listen to this. This is so good. Verse number two, you shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for who?

Yourselves. Remember Jericho? Can't take anything. Why? Because it's the Lord's, it's under the ban. Can't take anything that's God's. Ach saw it and said, Well, I'll just take a little bit of what's God's, he'll never know. And of course, their people will never know, but God did know because He robbed God of what was His. Now, God says in chapter 8, you know what?

All the spoils, all the cat, everything's there. Guess what? It's all yours. Take it. Only if Achan would have waited. Think about it. If he just would have waited for the Lord. But he couldn't, because his lust, his temptation was so great, he could not wait for God. To act, think about it this way. Think about those who are engaged and they engage in sex before marriage because they can't wait, they just can't wait for God's plan. So they engage in sex before marriage. And then when they're married, guess what's really bad in their marriage?

You got it. Sex. Why? Because they didn't wait for God to work. Think about the person who just has to get married and they don't want to wait on God, but they find someone they think they should marry and they say, man, this is the one. It's got to be the one. And they rush off into marriage only to find out. A few months later, it was a bad, bad choice because they didn't wait upon God to show them what they should do. Think about the person who gambles all the time, always trying to throw his money, trying to get rich as quick as possible because he's got to pay off his debts, he's got to off his bills, and thinking if he can just gamble this away and win this or win the lottery, man, it can all be taken care of.

But he loses everything. Loses his house, loses his cars, loses the clothes off his back because he will not wait upon the L. You see, God's word not only inspires us, but it instructs us. And if Achan would have waited, Waited for God to say, guess what? Anything you want in AI, take it. It's yours. That ache and couldn't wait. How many people do you know that just can't wait? They can't. I love the verse in Isaiah chapter 30. Isaiah chapter 30, verse number 15, where it says this. In repentance and rest, you shall be saved.

In quietness and trust is your strength. But you were not willing. You were willing. In quietness and in trust. If you just learn to wrap your trust around me and wait for me in quietness. But you were unwilling. That says in verse number 18, therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore he waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice. How blessed are all those who long. Or literally, who wait for him. The man who is blessed is the one who waits on his God and does not try to jump ahead or try to do things in his own time, but waits on his God to clearly direct his path.

Folks, let me tell you something. I can give you a list of count people who did not wait on God to direct them, whether it be their marriage, whether it be their job, whether it be their future, whether it be their college education. They did not wait on God On God to trust and direct their lives. They took the initiative themselves and they have paid drastically for years because they would not wait on God. Folks, let me tell you something.

God's word is a word of instruction. It instructs us in the way we should go. That's why when Paul said in 2 Timothy 3, 16 that all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness. God's word is about instructing a man in the ways of God that he might honor his God. God knows that. God knows that. And so the whole cons of Joshua, how God is going to comfort Joshua is he's going to inspire him through his word and he's going to instruct him on what he's to do next.

Through his wor. I 'm here tonight to let you know that that's how God wants to comfort your soul. You need to remember that. If you need to be inspired, it's God's Word that does so. If you need to be instructed, it's God's word that does so.